Radiator core



Nov. 17, 1936.

0pc. PALMER I 2,061,100

RRRRRRRRRR RE [11 Van for O. C Par/mar Patented Nov. 17, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in radiator cores and more particularly to radiator cores of the fin and tube type.

An object of the invention is to provide an 5 improvement and simplified radiator core construction of the type commonly employed in conjunction with internal combustion engines to extract heat from the fluid used in the circulatory cooling system thereof.

In the ordinary type of radiator for an internal combustion engine, which is provided with a series of spaced conduits through which the cooling fluid flows in one direction while air flows in another direction between and around the fluid conduits, the air flows in substantially straight paths through the radiator so that, relatively speaking, the streams of air flowing through the openings in the radiator make contact with the fins and tube members of the radiator only at the outer edges thereof, and only the outer portions of the streams of air flowing through the holes in the radiator receive heat from the water tube members, while the inside or central portions of the streams of air receive relatively little or no heat. In other words, the

air fiowingthrough the ordinary radiator in substantially straight lines, does not have any great degree of turbulence imparted thereto, and accordingly it tends to sweep smoothly through the core of the radiator without absorbing as much heat as would be the case if its smooth fiow were interrupted.

It is a more detailed object of the present invention to provide a novel type of radiator construction adapted to cause swirling eddy currents in the air streams as they pass through the core, thereby causing the air to impinge more forcefully against the metallic portions of the core, whereby to increase the amount of heat which can be extracted from the circulating fluid by the air moving through the core.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel type of core construction adapted to induce turbulence in the air streams as above described, without however, offering any great resistance to the flow of air through the radiator. A more detailed object is to attainthe above mentioned objects through the expedient of tube members which are curved in such a manner that the air cells which they define are of arcuate form considered from the front to the back of the core.

A further object is to provide spacing fins which are corrugated transversely, and the crests of 55,: whose corrugations also are arcuate so as to conform to and make contact with the curved tube members. a

A further object of the present invention is to provide a radiator core of the general character indicated, which will be relatively simple and 5 inexpensive to construct, and yet which is generally superior in efficiency and serviceability.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following descrip- 10 tion of the preferred form of my invention which is illustrated in the drawing accompanying and forming part of the specification. It is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the showing made by the said drawing and description, as 5 I may adopt variations of the preferred form within the scope of my invention as set forth in the claims.

The present invention may be considered an improvement over the subjects matter of my copending applications, Serial No. 561,859,, filed September 9, 1931, now Patent No. 2,018,922, issued Oct. 29, 1935; Serial No. 577,578, filed November 27, 1931, now Patent No. 2,002,923, issued May 28, 1935; and Serial No. 604,530, filed April 11, 1931, now Patent No. 2,035,665, issued March 31, 1936.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a portion of a radiator core embodying the principles of the present invention. A portion of the figure is broken away to reduce its size.

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view, the plane of section being indicated by the line 2-2 of Figure 1, with the direction of view as indicated. 35

In terms of broad inclusion, the present invention contemplates the provision of a radiator core of the fin and tube type wherein the tubes instead of being defined by members which lie in flat planes substantially perpendicular to front 0 and back faces of the radiator, lie in arcuate planes, the purpose being to cause impingement of the streams of air flowing through the cells of the radiator, against the curved walls so provided and thereby enable the air streams to ab- 45 sorb a greater amount of heat from the metal against which they so impinge. The spacing fins usedin conjunction with tube members curved as described are preferably of corrugated form with the corrugations extending transversely of the fins but with the crests of the corrugations also arcuate so as to conform to and make contact with the tube members and in this manner define arcuate instead of straight cells through which the air is caused to pass.

More specifically described, Figures 1 and 2 illustrate a section of a radiator core embodying the principles of the present invention. This core l2 comprises a plurality of tube members 6, each of which is made up of a pair of opposed plates 1 and 8 in face to face abutment. Each plate 7, 8 is provided with preferably a plurality of beads 9 extending outwards with respect to the tube member 6, these beads being hollow and the hollow sides of corresponding beads of the two plates 7, 8 of each tube member 6 being disposed in registry with each other so that each pair of co-operating hollow beads 9 defines a,

water tube H extending longitudinally of the core.

The construction of the water tube member thus far described is closely similar to that forming a portion of the subject matter of each of my aforementioned co-pending applications. However, the tube members of the present invention difier from earlier construction in that instead of lying in flat planes they are curved in section taken perpendicularly to the direction of fiow through the tubes l l, as clearly shown in Figures 1 and 2.

The tube members themselves are disposed in spaced arrangement and between each two adjacent pair of tube members 6 a spacing fin I6 is provided. Each of these fins I6 is corrugated transversely, i. e., the crest ll of each corrugation l8 extends from the front face IQ of the radiator to the rear face 2!. Accordingly, each corrugation l8 defines an air cell 22 of substantially triangular cross-sectional configuration through which air can flow, the direction of such fiow being substantially perpendicular to the direction of flow of water through the tubes ll.

Each of the fins i6 is also curved so that the crests ll of its corrugations l8 lie in arcs, the curvature of which conforms to that of the tube members 6. Consequently, the air cells 22 in-' stead of being straight as in earlier constructions are also arcuate, as best shown upon Figure 2. The curvature of each fin may be either that of a single arc, or of multiple, reverse arcs. The type of construction chosen for illustration, as most clearly shown on Figure 2, employs a double curve. If the direction of air flow through the radiator is assumed to be from left to right as the cells through which they are flowing.

' Consequently the crests ll conform to and make contact with the tube members throughout the entire length of the crests, thereby assuring maximum efficiency of conduction of heat from the tube members 6 to the radiator or spacing fins IS.

The efiect of the curvature of the tube members 6 and fins l6 upon the air flowing through the cells 22 is to produce a maximum amount of turbulence in the air streams due to their impingement against the curved side of the walls of In more conventional construction where the cells are straight or substantially so, there is a tendency for the air to flow in relatively straight streams through the core, so that positive impingement of the air against the metal of the core occurs, relatively speaking, only at the extreme front face l9 of the core, or at the forward face of any protruding restrikes, fins, blades, bosses, or the like, which might be provided in the metal of the fin or tube, or both. Also, it is only the outermost portions of the air streams flowing through such straight cells that absorb any material amount of heat from the metal of the core, the central portions of the streams being able to absorb relatively little heat because of their lack of contact with any metal. However, in the core of the present construction which utilizes the curved tube members and fins, the curvature of the cells 22 so provided causes 7 the air streams to bear strongly against the metal on the outside of the curve as fiow of the stream through the core occurs. Moreover, due to the presence of the beads 9 which protrude from the outer surfaces of the tube members, eddy currents are set up in the air streams wherever such projections occur, and these eddy currents also interfere with the otherwise relatively smooth flow of air, thereby enhancing the turbulence developed in the air streams. Moreover, this relatively great degree of turbulence is attained without employing any protrusions which extend for any material distance into the air cells; i. e., each of the air cells is enabled to carry substantially a full volume of air therethrough because of the lack of restriction of that air cell throughout its entire length. Accordingly, the core construction of the present invention interferes only to a minimum degree with the fiow of air therethrough and yet it takes full advantage of all air flowing through the core by setting up a maximum degree of turbulence in that air fiow as hereinabove described.

I claim:

1. In a radiator core, a plurality of tube members, each comprising a pair of opposed plates having beads extending longitudinally thereof, the inner sides of said beads being hollow and corresponding beads of the two opposed plates of each of said tube members being in registry with each other to define water tubes, and the two plates of each tube member contacting each other throughout the length of the plates and for a material width thereof between each two adjacent water tubes and at both lateral edges of the plates, thereby presenting a plurality of parallel strips extending longitudinally of the tube members and spaced thereacross, where said members are of minimum thickness, said tube members being curved to arcuate form in section taken perpendicularly to said tubes, and a spacing fin interposed between each two adjacent tube members, each of said fins having arcuate corrugations extending transversely thereof and making contact with the associated tube members throughout substantially the entire length of the curved crests of said corrugations, they throughout the length of the plates and for a material width thereof between each two adjacent water tubes and at both lateral edges of the plates thereby presenting a plurality of parallel strips extending longitudinally of the tube members and spaced thereacrcss, where said tube members are of minimum thickness, each of said tube members being curved about two axes on opposite sides of the member and offset laterally with respect to the member whereby each member presents a double, reverse bend throughout its width, and a spacing fin interposed between each two adjacent tube members, each of said fins having arcuate corrugations extending transversely thereof and making contact with the associated tube members throughout substantially the entire length of the curved crests of said corrugations, the crests of said corrugations having spaced recesses therein and corresponding recesses of all crests on each side of each fin being aligned to receive the beads of the associated tube members therein.

OSCAR C. PALMER. 

